Pastor Harry’s Thoughts for October

There are times in life when the answer isn't to work harder, push harder, or simply try harder. Sometimes the wisest thing we can do is stop long enough to sharpen the edge. Ecclesiastes 10:10 says,

“If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed.” It's one of those little verses tucked away in Scripture that we could easily read right past, but the picture Solomon gives us is incredibly practical. A man can keep swinging a dull axe. He can put more force behind it, sweat more, strain more, work longer, and eventually he may even accomplish what he set out to do. But the problem isn't that he needs more strength. The problem is that his edge has become dull.

And here's what I've noticed about things that tend to get dull in life. They don't usually announce themselves in some dramatic way. Most of the time it shows up quietly. We get irritated by things that used to roll off our backs. We lose patience with people a little faster than we once did. Decisions that used to seem clear suddenly feel cloudy. We become harder to impress, harder to move and harder to surprise. Gratitude gets thinner. And that sense of wonder we once had toward some of the ordinary things and moments in life starts to fade. Things that once mattered deeply to us become so familiar that we hardly notice their value anymore. It doesn't mean something has necessarily fallen apart. Life may still look pretty normal from the outside. But little by little, without ever realizing it, we've started making up for a dull edge by swinging harder.

That's what makes Solomon's picture still so useful to us today. A dull axe still looks like an axe. It still has a handle and still has weight. You can still pick it up, swing it, and from a distance nobody may ever know there's a problem. But the person using it knows. Because now, it takes more effort to get less done. What once felt clean and purposeful now feels heavy. And here's what I've discovered; life can get that same way too. We can get so used to pushing through things by sheer determination that we don't stop to consider whether the problem is really a lack of effort at all. We don't need more force. We need a renewed edge.

And here's the encouraging part. Solomon doesn't tell the man to throw the axe away. He doesn't say it's useless because it's gotten dull. He says it needs sharpening. Because dull doesn't mean finished, worn doesn't mean worthless and a season when we've lost a little clarity, sensitivity, joy, patience, or focus doesn't mean God is finished with us. It may simply mean there are some places in us that need His attention again.

But sharpening requires honesty. At some point you've got to admit the edge isn't what it used to be. You've got to stop swinging long enough to actually look at it. Sharpening means being willing to notice what we've grown accustomed to, what we've allowed to wear down and what we've stopped paying attention to. Sometimes the hardest thing isn't recognizing that we're tired. It's recognizing that something in us has changed. The edge has become rougher. Our reactions are different. Our outlook has narrowed. And before anything can be sharpened, it first has to be brought into the light.

A dull axe can still make plenty of noise. It can still leave marks on the tree. It can even look like a tremendous amount of work is being accomplished. But wisdom knows there's a difference between a lot of motion and actually being effective. So maybe the question for October isn't, “How can I do more?” Maybe the better question is, “Lord, where have I become dull?” Because sometimes wisdom doesn't tell us to swing harder. Sometimes wisdom says it's time to sharpen the edge.

Questions We Can Ask Ourselves This Month

• Where have I become more easily irritated than I used to be?
• Has my patience become dull? Has my compassion become dull?
• Has my gratitude become dull?
• Have I become so familiar with the blessings around me that I hardly notice them anymore?
• Is there an area of my life where I'm using more force when what I really need is a renewed edge?
• What might God be trying to sharpen in me during this season?

Prayer for October- “Lord, show me the places in my life that have grown dull. Help me notice what I've stopped noticing, where my patience has worn thin, where my gratitude has faded, and where I've been trying to push harder instead of letting You renew me. Give me the honesty to recognize what needs Your attention and the humility to let You sharpen what has become worn. Restore clarity where things have become cloudy, com passion where I've become hardened, and wonder where life has become too familiar. Help me walk through this month with a renewed heart, a clearer focus, and a greater sensitivity to Your presence in my life. Amen.”

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Harry & Jennifer